Fretboard binding

I did more work on the fretboard. First I cut each edge straight - you may remember last week that I'd had to leave the last couple of inches of the board's edge untouched so as not to carve the neck template's tenon into them. I corrected this by using a piece of straight scrap as a template to finish off the edges in the router:

Then I applied the binding. First I used my follower bit with a smaller bearing to cut a test channel, and make sure that my bearing size gave a binding channel the right size for my 1.5mm binding. The binding I'm using is 1.5mm 'vintage cream' plastic binding. It fitted perfectly:

Then I used the same straight edge that the fretboard was already attached to, and ran my router with the bearing and follwer bit up the side of it. This removes 1.5 mm thickness from each side of the fretboard:

The fretboard is now too thin (relative to the width of the neck) by three mm. We will glue the binding strips to either side to bring it back up to the correct width:

This is what the binding will look like when attached to the board:

I planned to use some solvent acrylic glue ('Weld-on 16'') to attach the binding. It's the same stuff I used for the binding on my telecaster body. It cures very quickly, so you need to be ready - the pieces were cleaned with white spirit, and stripes of tape prepared to clap the binding together:

In the event, my glue had cured in the pot to a big block of jelly :/. I came up with another plan..

I clamped the binding to the fretboard tightly with tape:

On both sides:

Then filled a pipette with thin CA glue. This stuff wicks into gaps really well:

I then dropped the CA glue onto the joint between the binding and the fretboard:

Like so:

And went along the entire fretboard:

Front and back:

 I then removed the tape, and dropped into the joint that had been covered up. Once complete, the binding was nicely attached, and will continue to get more secure as the glue cures overnight. I suspect this method wicked some CA into the fret slots, but I have a tool that should be able to pick that out.

Here's the fretboard on the neck:

And the neck and fretboard on the guitar: 

I'm very happy with how the binding looks. I'll add the small piece at the bottom of the fretboard once it's finally finish sanded.

The next jobs are, unfortunately, more sanding on the fretboard. It's currently at 120 grit - I need to take it up towards 600 grit. Following that, I'll probably try to finish the neck - shaping and drilling the tuner holes.

I also need to make a decision about the headstock logo - whether to use a decal, or attempt to inlay something...